Various washing stations and tubs are used in the veterinary and commercial pet grooming industries to wash and disinfect a wide variety of animals. These systems typically employ a tub in which the animal can be placed and a source of water or other washing liquid that can be selectively directed to the animal using one of many types of hand sprayers. Such a system is typically provided with a drain, positioned in the bottom of the washing container to dispose of the washing liquid. Another typical feature of the prior art systems is a horizontal platform disposed within the container for supporting the animal above the standing washing liquid at the bottom of the container. However, since animals and their bathers come indifferent sizes, the elevation chosen for a perforated platform will not be ideal for every bathing situation.
Some prior washing stations have provided platforms that are made to stack atop one another, potentially providing the benefits of different levels at which to bathe animals. In other prior washing stations, perforated platforms are provided that can insert into the top of an animal bathing tub, forming a bridge that extends across from back to front at different levels. However, having stackable or insertable platforms can present a number of problems. Such platforms are typically large, heavy and awkward to handle. This is frequently a problem when bathing larger animals, where the stackable or insertable platforms are not used, as they need to be stored out of the way while they are not in use. The designs of most large washing stations provide little to no storage area for the bulky platforms. Even when a tub is designed to provide a place to accommodate storing platforms while not in use, the amount of space available is usually quite limited. Using the stackable or insertable platforms also requires additional pieces that are not in use much of the time.